The Trials of the Youngest
by iVans
Summary: Being the youngest isn't fun, especially in the Weasley Clan. A collection of oneshots based around Hugo Weasley's trials of being the youngest in the largest family in the Wizarding World.


Hugo stared silently out his window, down at the rest of his family playing and talking. It was 9 o'clock, and that meant even with the thirty extra minute he got to stay up for when the family was at Grandma and Grandpa Weasley's house, it was his bedtime.

Usually, it was bearable, because usually Lily went to bed with him and he knew he wasn't alone. But Lily, who's birthday was seven months before his, had turned seven last week. And seven in the Weasley family meant an extra 30 minutes of awake time.

And Hugo craved awake time.

Wrapped in his father's old comforter, Hugo continued to watch his family from his dad's old room's window.

Molly, Roxanne and Lucy were all giggling at the table as they flipped through some tweenie magazine, drooling over the lead singer of Wolfin Around.

Victoire and Teddy were chatting away from the other mess of cousins, and Hugo nearly gagged as Victoire brushed Teddy's bangs away from his face. That was like, incest, basically…right? Hugo turned away from the sickening conversation and looked into the knot of cousins who were gathered around Fred and Louis.

Before his mother had carried off Hugo to bed, he had been eavesdropping on the two prankster's conversation. Something involving Dominique, a Muggle Razor and a prototype from Uncle George's store that knocked people out for a few minutes.

Whatever they were planning must've been good, because even James was looking around slightly on edge. And usually his cousin James was the epitome of cool, calm, and relaxed. That is, as long as he wasn't talking to a girl.

Next to James, Al, Rose, and Lily were gathered in a circle, passing around Bertie Bott's Beans. He fought down the jealousy, as he watched Lily, who had been the _same_ age as him just _eight _days ago, fool around with the older cousins. Like she was one of them.

He and Lily were supposed to be the duo, the team. It always seemed to come down to Lily and Hugo versus Victoire, Teddy, Dominique, Louis, Fred, Molly, Lucy, Roxanne, James and Al. Except now he supposed it would be just Hugo versus everyone else.

The youngest Weasley sighed, as he slipped off the windowsill, and walked carefully to his Dad's old bed, careful not to trip over the blanket he still had wrapped around him. He sat on the bed, contemplating his options.

Granted there were few, sleep or not sleep. Regardless he wasn't supposed to leave the room, not if he wanted to convince his parent's he really was asleep.

Then again, his parents were with his Aunt's and Uncle's, on the other side of the house…away from the cousins. And Teddy and Victoire, the only one's who would rat him out, were too busy looking at each other with kissy faces to even notice him.

So really, there was no reason why he shouldn't sneak out.

Decision made, Hugo slipped away from the comforter, shivering as the house's cold air hit him through his thin pajamas. He took each step slowly to keep the stairs from squeaking.

One step…after…another. Step…Step…Step…Ste-

With almost comically speed Hugo found himself pulled up from his next step and he looked up, terrified, into his Father's eyes.

"H-Hi daddy," he said quietly and Ron Weasley arched an eyebrow, in a way that would've given Snape a run for his money.

"Hey Hugo, what's up?" He asked sarcastically, carrying Hugo back to the room he had just escaped from.

Hugo paused momentarily, watching the retreating steps as he looked over his dad's shoulder.

Hugo fell unceremoniously onto the bed and glared up at his dad as Ron pulled the comforter over him again.

"Where were you going mate?" Ron asked sitting down on the end of Hugo's bed and Hugo shifted under the blankets, starring at his hands.

"The bathroom?" His answer came out as more of a question, a question Ron didn't seem to buy.

"Really?" He asked, starring down at his son in a look he a learned from his own father. A look he had seen Fred and George get one to many times.

It was working though, and Hugo dodged his father's eyes and squirmed even more under the covers.

"No," he finally sighed, staring up at his father. "I was going to go outside."

Ron frowned, leaning against the wall at the foot of his old bed. "At 9:15? Isn't your bedtime 9 o'clock?" he asked, as if he didn't know, and Hugo frowned at the patronizing tone.

"But it isn't _fair_," Hugo muttered darkly, crossing his arms across his chest, "Lily get's to stay up until 9:30."

Ron raised an eyebrow again, as he ran a hand through his son's hair. "Lily's seven mate, it's her bedtime now. You know the universal Weasley rule."

"But me and Lily, _always_ go to bed at the same time. It's _fair_ that way. Because, then neither of us are the first to bed," Hugo explained logically, and Ron sighed pulling Hugo up into his lap and resting his head on his son's auburn hair.

"Sometimes, son, life isn't exactly fair. It's just…life. Am I going to tell you that it's necessarily fair that Lily was born before you and not the other away around? No. Am I going to tell you that it's fair that Lily get's the privileges of a seven year old, because she is seven? Yes. Because mate, if Lily had to go to bed at 9'clock, then when you finally turn seven in just a few short months, you'll have to go to be at 9. Does that seem fair to you?"

Hugo shook his head slowly, fiddling with a loose string on his dad's shirtsleeve.

"Hugo, I've always been the youngest boy in the family, just like you'll always be the youngest in the family. And I had to wait my turn for privileges just like you-"

"Like bedtime?" Hugo asked quietly and Ron nodded thoughtfully.

"Sure, or like, when I was able to ride a broom. Or when I was old enough to drive Granddad's flying car. Even when I was old enough to help Grandma make dinner. I had to watch Bill, Charlie, Percy and Fred and George get to do everything before me, but my turn came. And you want to know a secret?"

Hugo shrugged, looking up at his father who smiled back down. "You may get more privileges when you get older, but you also get more responsibility. You know what your Uncle Harry told me?"

Hugo shrugged again, this time looking slightly more interested. "He told me that now that Lily's seven, she's going to have to start making her bed everyday."

Hugo stared up in shock, "_Everyday_?"

"Everyday," Ron confirmed and he laughed lightly at his son's shock. "So enjoy being six for another seven months, because you'll never be six again. Does that make since?"

"Yeah," Hugo yawned, leaning his head against his father's shoulder and sticking the tip of his thumb into his mouth.

"Uh-uh," Ron said gently, taking Hugo's finger out of his mouth. "That habit took too long to break, we're not going back to it."

Hugo didn't reply, but his eyes slipped closed and his breathing slowed. Running a hand through is youngest kid's hair, Ron slowly lifted him and set him back down under the covers, pulling them over his prone form.

"I know you want to get older, but I'd like you to stay this young forever. Can you do that for me son?"

Ron's wish went unanswered, but he smiled anyways, and then turned to rejoin the party downstairs.

Because he was finally 36 and he could stay up as long as he wanted too. So ha, take that George.


End file.
